Laos Essential Artistry

Firewood: A Traditional Source of Cooking and Warmth in Laos

 
Here's an article below that recently ran in the Vientiane Times about the importance of firewood. While most villages have, or soon will have electricity, almost all the homes still use firewood or charcoal for cooking and I don't think electric stoves will replace cooking using firewood. It's ubiquitous and will be for a long, long time.

When you travel in rural Laos it's hard not to see people, mostly women and older girls carrying wood back to their homes. You can see that the five girls above are heavily laden down with wood they've gathered from the forest for their homes. Sometimes they have to walk many miles over steep terrain, and let me tell you these baskets are heavy! While it is not easy work, the girls like you see in the photo above make the best of it, joking and singing, and strong bonds of friendship are formed in joining together in this important task for their families.

Below the article you can see a couple more of our photos with older women carrying wood on the "main road" in Muang Vaen, a fire keeping villagers in southern Laos warm and making a batch of lao lao over a traditional wood fire in a Tai Daeng home in northern Huaphan Province.

Firewood a traditional source of warmth

For thousands of years Lao people in rural areas of the country have depended on firewood to fuel their traditional household stoves and keep their families warm at night.  Such wood is typically harvested from native forests near the villages and is not only used for cooking, but also heating and fencing.

 

Many households in remote rural areas of the country continue to use firewood for cooking because they are yet to receive access to the national electricity grid.

 

Xieng Khuang province in northern Laos is one of many places where local people still use firewood for cooking. More than 50 percent of villages in the province now have access to the national electricity grid, according to provincial authorities. Over 2,560 families in villages throughout the province can now access electricity supplied by the provincial branch of Electricite du Laos (EDL).

 

Mrs Chouthor Yang, of Nam Kha village in Phaxay district, Xieng Khuang province, said she goes to cut and collect wood every day for use as fuel for cooking and heating at night. Nam Kha village gained access to the national electricity grid early this month. “Now, our house is bright from light bulbs, but we don't use electricity for cooking,” she told Vientiane Times .

 

“Actually, we don't know how to use electricity for cooking, but we hope to soon use it to prepare meals at our house,” Mrs Chouthor said with a hint of a smile.

 

Residents of five villages in Phaxay district, Xieng Khuang province, have started cooking with electricity after they gained access to the national power grid earlier this month.

 

About 30 of the 347 households in Nam Ka, Naphiathang, Sua, Thangxiengneua and Navarn villages have stopped using wood as fuel for cooking, Deputy Head of Tangxiengneua village, Mr Khamfay Dalavong said.

 

The five villages gained 24-hour access to electricity when the small Nam Ka hydropower station was officially opened and connected to the national electricity grid on August 9.

 

Mrs Chouthor said she collects wood in the forest from 8:30 to 11:30am each day. “My sons and daughters like to burn wood during the wet season to keep warm in the morning and at night.”

 

In the winter, her children burn wood all day and night in front of the house to keep warm, she added.

“Burning wood provides fuel for cooking and keeps us warm during the winter and wet seasons,” she explained .

By Khonesavanh Latsahao

 

Favorite Photo Series, Laos Summer 2010: Khuts and Naks and That Luang

We always love taking photos when we go to Laos and although we've taken hundreds of photos of That Luang, if we're in the neighborhood we'll take some more. This day we were nearby to visit our friend Steve, owner of Lao Mountain Coffee, whose roasting operation is within a quarter mile of That Luang, plus we were scouting for any khuts guarding the entrances to the wats surrounding That Luang. Above you will see a khut (garuda in Thailand and not as common in Laos) bolstering the corner facade of Wat That Luang with a nak guarding the stairs to the sim. Below are two photos we took of That Luang the same afternoon. One shows That Luang framed by the front gate with two naks perched above protecting That Luang, and the one below that was taken within the cloisters and we love the blue sky and clouds framing the that.

 

Cosmic Creatures: Lao Textiles from Sam Neua, Sam Tai and Muang Vaen

We actually got the idea for the title of this post from an exhibition curated by Patricia Cheesman at the East-West Center Gallery in Honolulu, Hawaii titled Cosmic Creatures: Textiles from Northeast Lao Communities this last summer. We substituted Sam Neua, Sam Tai and Muang Vaen for Northeast Lao Communities, because these are the towns most associated with Northeastern Laos and the towns we are very familiar with and will be visiting on our June 2010 Laos tour.

If you're a regular follower of our blog then you probably are familiar with Patricia because we recently wrote a post recommending two books for our tour participants to read to gain a better understanding of the history, complexity and artistry of Lao textiles and one of them was Patricia Cheesman’s Lao-Tai Textiles: The Textiles of Xam Nuea and Muang Phuan. In the exhibition mentioned above Patricia writes in the handout that, “This exhibition gives us a glimpse into the heavens of the peoples of northeast Laos where serpents are powerful allies and can become human; birds can turn into elephants, serpents or boats, through an art-form created by women.”

We’ve isolated the diamond shape piece above from a tapestry-style textile woven in Sam Neua because we too are fascinated with these magical (cosmic) motifs. But what do they mean? Luckily, we've had the opportunity to guide Elli Findley, a professor at Trinity College through northern Laos the last three years as she has been researching the use of Tai Daeng (Red Tai) textiles in rituals such as weddings and funerals, and we asked her if she would provide insight into the possible meaning of the motifs used in this diamond shape piece.

She wrote us back saying, “This brightly colored diamond shape is called a "lantern" and is often found on such Lao-Tai textiles as shoulder cloths (phaa biang) and door curtains (phaa kang). Here it may come from a funeral panel. The central design is a saang hong (or siho) that represents a mythical being that is half elephant (see the trunk) and half bird (see the legs). In the center, the siho appears in a mirror-reversed design, and again on each side in two smaller versions.

The siho is pregnant with double-headed serpent or ngueak (naga) in its belly, and on its back is a candle house with a figure inside -- representing a boat taking someone to the other world. The figure is either a recently deceased member of the community or the shaman accompanying him as guide into the after life. Notice the five-fingered hands of the figure and the naga heads on either side of him. Rainbow patterns occur in the candles on top of the houseboat, in the “S” designs representing baby nagas, and in the hooks of the sihos’ hair. There is one story that says that such a design can occur on coffin covers of fathers who die before their children are grown and that the double headed naga in the siho’s belly represents the youths who must mature before the mourning process helped by this textile can be completed."

Elli writes that the siho is  "pregnant with double-headed serpent or ngueak (naga) in its belly." Patricia Cheesman in the handout mentioned above writes about the naga (nak/ngeuak) that,  “The serpent is the oldest symbol known to have been a totem of the ancestors of the Lao-Tai peoples and was shared by the Chinese in the Yangtze River basin over 6000 years ago. Whereas the Chinese told of the male serpent hunder god controlling rain, storm, earthquake, and flood, the Lao talked of their mother ngueak, a serpent goddess that had a human face and could turn into a human at will. She had the same powers over water, a crucial resource for growing rice and the source of life force and well-being of the people. The serpents guarded the treasures of the earth, living in caverns full of gems and crystal water and often ventured into the realm of humans, seducing and procreating with them. They are loved as ancestors of the Lao-Tai peoples in myths and legends. In the textiles these serpents are shown with colorful crests, bodies that curve into ‘w’, ‘v’ or ‘s’ shapes and appear to be spiraling in a criss-cross game or passing from one realm to another in procession. The crested serpent is the active, aroused form of the serpent mother.

In Buddhist iconography, there are serpents called nagas. The most famous naga protected the Buddha from floods at the Enlightenment. The naak, which is the Lao pronunciation of naga, is represented on temple steps and roofs as the link between the realm of the gods and humans, the profound and the mundane. They can also become human, protect and bring rain. The correlations between the Buddhist naak and the shamanic serpent mother ngueak are as entwined as their bodies on the textiles. The cosmic serpent is still the most popular motif on Lao textiles today and represents female energy, the power of nature, and the earth.”

Join us in June to visit Laos, "Land of the Naga!"

 

Favorite Laos Photos Series: Monk at Wat Xieng Thong in Luang Prabang

Regardless of where we go in Laos, and regardless of how many times I've been before, I always am viewing everything as if I'm seeing it for the first time. There is always a sense of wonder in what I'm seeing, and so it is when we visit Wat Xieng Thong, probably the most famous wat in Luang Prabang. As is written in the book Ancient Luang Prabang, "Situated at the tip of the promontory of Luang Prabang, where the Nam Khan river flows into the Mekong, the site is, so legend relates, where the first boundary stone of the city was laid. The most magnificent of all Lao wats, the finest example of sacred architecture in Laos, it was built by King Setthathirat, who ruled from 1548-1571. The temple survived numerous raids by Chinese marauders and it was this temple that persuaded UNESCO to make Luang Prabang a World Heritage Site."

The first photo below is the featured photo of the monk walking by the Sim. Below that photo you can see the promontory of Luang Prabang as mentioned in the quotation above, with the Nam Khan river flowing into the Mekong. I've placed a red circle around Wat Xieng Thong.

The wat is a photographer's dream, there's so much that beckons the eye, and one has to be quick to take advantage of when a monk goes walking by. For me there is a timeless quality to this shot that's reinforced by not being able to see the monk's face. I think a good photo leaves a lot to the imagination... Really, this photo could have been taken hundreds of years ago, except for the "modern" black umbrella!

Laos Tour Bibliograhy continued: Textile Books

There are three books that we recommend if someone wants to gain a better understanding about Lao textiles. Two are in print and our top two choices. They are: Weaving Tradition: Carol Cassidy and Woven Silks of Laos and Lao-Tai Textiles: The Textiles of Xam Nuea and Muang Phuan by Patricia Cheesman. The third book is the small classic by Mary Connors, Lao Textiles and Traditions, published in 1996 and has been out of print for many years.

The one book that we’re most excited about though is one that hasn’t been published yet. It’s in the process of being written by Elli Findly, the professor we’ve guided the last three years. It will be the kind of book that anyone traveling to Laos with an interest in textiles will want to have, providing the most complete discussion of all the different motifs being used in Lao textiles and the influence of religion (Buddhist and animist) and their use in rituals past and present. As she writes in her vita, the current proposed title is, Spirits in the Loom: Religion and Design in the Weaving of Northeastern Laos,” and of course its still in the process of being researched and written. Her direction in the book is reflected in a recent presentation she gave on “The Serpent and the Bird: Images of Transformation in Tai Textiles,” sponsored jointly by the Costume and Textile Society, the Wadsworth Atheneum Museum, and the Town and Country Club, Hartford, October 7, 2009. 

Our top two books are very different and are complementary, at least from our perspective. Carol’s book is actually a catalog produced in conjunction with the exhibition Weaving Tradition: Carol Cassidy and Woven Silks of Laos. The book was written by Dorothy Twining Globus and Mary F. Connors and the exhibition was curated by Dorothy Twining Globus.  As is written on the mocfa website, the book is “a comprehensive overview of the traditional and contemporary woven silk textiles of Laos and the techniques used to produce them plus a portrait of designer Carol Cassidy and her workshop, Lao Textiles. 160 pages, with 125 images and illustrations.” The book can be ordered through the San Francisco Muesum of Craft and Folk art here.

And we have to give ourselves a little plug as Peter is one of the many people listed in the acknowledgements as “having given generously of their talents, experience, and commitment in bringing this book and exhibition to fruition.” Two of our photos were used, there’s one of a Mien women embroidering on pg. 31 and the first photo in a sequence showing the tapestry weave technique of pg. 59.

The book is divided into three sections, The People of Laos and their Textiles, Making Textiles and  Carol Cassidy and the Lao Textiles Studio. The section we keep turning to is “Making Textiles.” Mary and Dorothy have done a marvelous job in describing and illustrating all the myriad facets of the weaving process. The writing is clear and the photographs leave no ambiguity, you really learn something here. Plus, almost worth the price of the book itself are the two black and white detailed illustrations of the loom, one facing the back of the weaver and one from overhead, looking directly down on the loom and weaver. We can’t begin to tell you the hundreds of times we’ve referred to these drawings in trying to better understand certain weaving details (at least from Peter’s perspective!).

The only nitpicking we have is with the binding of the catalog and our book is now in many “pieces.”

  

The second book we highly recommend is Lao-Tai Textiles: The Textiles of Xam Nuea and Muang Phuan by Patricia Cheesman. In writing this post we discovered there is a new PB edition, published on September 30, 2009 that is available on Amazon at a 32% discount for $40.85. Yes!

We are eternally grateful to Patricia because it is only through her book that we learned about Muang Vaen, one of our favorite weaving villages in all of Laos, and one that we visit on our tour. The book is clearly a work of love combined with some serious scholarship. We’ve met Patricia at a conference in Bangkok, visited her gallery in Chiang Mai and have a DVD she produced on Tai Daeng Shamanic Traditions in Sam Neua, and her strong connections with the tribal people of this region are clearly evident.

Patricia has published numerous books and articles on Thai and Lao textiles and is a recognized Lao-Thai textile expert and recently curated an exhibition (Summer 2009) at the East-West Center Gallery in Honolulu, Hawai‘I titled Cosmic Creatures: Textiles from Northeast Lao Communities, centering in the Sam Neua, Muang Vaen and Sam Tai area.

Back to the book. Whereas Carol’s catalog is more technical, Patricia’s book is rich in its telling of the story of weavers, villagers and shamans from the northeast region of Laos through their textiles.  The history and geography chapters are a little confusing, but they can be skipped and we’ve learned so much from her chapters on Lao women’s sinhs (Chapter 5: Textiles for women’s everyday wear and Chapter 6: Textiles for women’s ceremonial dress). The book is richly illustrated, with color photos on most pages and provides a remarkable insight into a region, Sam Neua/Sam Tai/Muang Vaen, that is often overlooked.

Recommended Reading List for Laos Tour (June 2010) Participants - 1st Book

I occasionally come across reading lists about Laos, but it’s pretty apparent they’re put together generically, culled from looking at books available on Amazon, etc. What I'm doing now is putting together a list of recommended books I’ve read that I think really have value in providing important insights about Laos. The list when it is finished will be added to our tour information located  here.

The first book I would recommend is Naga Cities of the Mekong: A Guide to the temples, legends and history of Laos, written by Martin Stuart Fox with photographs by Steve Northup. The book is published by Media Masters in Singapore, so isn’t on the Amazon “shelves,” though it is readily available from other resellers. It's probably about half the price if you bought it in Laos or Thailand, but even at $35 I think it's worth it. Martin Stuart-Fox has written many books about Laos, probably the most popular is The History of Laos, so he knows what he is talking about. And his passion for Laos is clearly evident in the Naga Cities of the Mekong. The book is quite interesting and is a good read and amazingly the photographs are quite good and closely pertain to the text on the page they’re displayed. I learned an incredible amount  from reading this book.

On our tours we've been focusing on the two Naga cities of Vientiane and Luang Prabang. The third, Champasaak is located down south near the Cambodia border and if time and money were no object, I would love to have tour participants visit Champasaak too, especially to visit Laos’s second World Heritage site, Wat Phu and the Khone Pha Pheng waterfalls on the Mekong River which stymied the French from their quest in the late 1800’s of gaining a backdoor into China. And of course I wouldn’t mind taking everyone up to the Boloven Plateau where the finest Lao coffee is grown!

As is written in the introduction, “This book tells the story of these three cities [Luang Prabang, Vientiane, Champasaak], their periods of greatness and decline, and the legends of their naga protectors. It tells of kings and peoples, and of the temples and palaces they built, may of which still remain and are described, each in its historical context.”

Of course here at Laos Essential Artistry we have a passion for the textile arts and nagas are not only one of the most popular motifs woven into Laos textiles, but they are embedded in the psyche of most Lao, including of course Lao weavers. The naga is such an important motif in Lao textiles that Viengkham Nanthavongdouangsy, one of the two sisters who are owners of Phaeng Mai Gallery, wrote a little book called Weaving Cloth, Weaving Nagas: Lao Woven Textile Motifs where she wrote that "The Naga is the most outstanding and dominant motif in Lao woven textiles, artistically created with imagination and respect. It has been so inseparably bound to the livelihood of the Lao people that whenever weavers speak of their work the term "Naga" is spontaneously mentioned first, as in the phrase 'Weaving Cloth - Weaving Nagas."

In the photo below I've outlined a double-headed naga woven into a silk textile by master weavers at Muang Vaen. Each textile tells a rich story in the motifs woven into the textile and here you can see how the nagas are joined at the tail in a diamond shape. Both nagas and the diamond shape are often considered protective and powerful motifs in the Lao cosmology and woven together like this one can imagine their significance. And since both nagas are carrying spirit/ancestor figures, their protective nature is clearly amplified.

But back to Naga Cities of the Mekong. The key word here in looking at the book is context. The book is rich in context and the outstanding photographs add more depth and meaning for the reader. Highly recommended!

Article in Vientiane Times: "Manners Maketh the Lao"

The articles in the Vientiane Times often have interesting titles and text as the Lao journalists enjoy being "creative" in the use of the English language. Right now, as we speak, Laos is hosting the 25th Southeast Asia Games, similar in importance to our hosting the Olympics, and so they are running a series of articles to help foreign visitors learn more about their country and culture. Thailand likes to market itself as the "Land of Smiles" and I think the Lao could market Laos as the "Land of the nop (a prayer gesture formed by holding your hands with palms together in front of your chest)." Of course most people outside Laos wouldn't understand what the nop is and this article does a good job in explaining the cultural importance of the nop. I've included two photos here. The first photo I really like is taken of a nun, a "mae khao" (white mother) with her expressive hands in the nop position. The second photo below the mae khao is of women holding their hands in the nop position during the That Luang Festival. If you join us on a tour in Laos you will have plenty of opportunities to practice your own nopping!

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Manners maketh the Lao

"Different cultures have many ways of greeting each other. The French kiss each other on the cheek. The Maoris of New Zealand touch noses in a traditional greeting. While an Australian might give you a hearty handshake and a “G'day mate”.

Lao people have a particularly gracious and beautiful welcome that involves a gentle smile, a polite and courteous bow of the head, a raising of the hands and the greeting “sabaidee”.

 

When a Lao person welcomes you with “sabaidee”, it literally means “feel good”.

 

Sabaidee (hello) is used when Lao people meet each other or visitors. If some one asks “how are you?” you can reply with sabaidee, which means I am doing well. If you are upset or not feeling well your answer may be “bor sabai” or “bor sabaidee”.

 

Sabaidee is lovely word that shows politeness and friendliness to people you respect, have just met, or can even say to passing strangers and foreigners to be hospitable.

 

Sabaidee can be used formally and informally. For example when you greet someone on the street, you do not have to give a “nop” (a prayer gesture formed by holding your hands with palms together in front of your chest), which is a more formal greeting.

 

In the home or office, you are often greeted with a “sabaidee” from your hosts, accompanied by a nop.

This shows appreciation and gratitude to relatives and friends for joining them for the occasion. In this case, you should return the greeting with a similar nop. You should also smile and bow your head slightly when meeting people.

 

Do not lose your temper with people or embarrass them, even if communication seems very difficult. Lao people respect calmness and do not act in response to pressure or anger.

 

Lao people like to be friendly and smile when greeting you; even in these more modern times they want to maintain this traditional greeting.

 

Children and teenagers are taught by their parents and their teachers to speak politely and to nop when greeting people who are older.

 

Young people should give the greeting first when they meet older people to show respect. If you attend important parties or events you should greet your hosts first with a nop and a “sabaidee”.  Also don't forget, if you enter a stranger's house, you should first say “sabaidee”, before anything else.

 

How do you greet special people?

 

If you want to greet monks who are visiting your house or you encounter in a temple the nop is slightly different. This time you should use two hands joined together at the fingers but slightly apart at the palms like a lotus flower bud. Then place your thumbs on the bridge of your nose between your eyes and bow your head a little, before saying “sabaidee”.

 

You should put your hands together, and place your thumb near the end of your nose and bow your head a little when you greet your parents.

 

Students should sabaidee their teacher by using two hands placed together, with the thumb under their lips and a bow of the head.

 

When you see any of the country's leaders or older people, you should raise your two hands joined together, with your thumb near your chin and bow your head a little.

If you want to greet your friends or a person who is slightly older than you, you should position your hands in front of your chest and bow your head a little.

 

In another traditional gesture, Lao people will often serve you a glass of water when you visit their home. This is to show their friendship and hospitality."

 

By Ounkham Pimmata
(Latest Update December 10 , 2009)

 

Traveling on the back roads of Laos

When I travel to Laos my fellow teachers always ask how my "vacation" was. It's hard to explain that Laos is a landlocked country and definitely not the Riviera! And in the rainy season traveling on dirt roads can be especially tricky. Getting up to my wife's parent's village, about a four hour (with no problems) trip can be a challenge during the rainy season (our summer). I thought for fun I would post a few photos from my trip back from Bai's village to Vientiane. It's always sort of a crap shoot about what the bus will be like and this time it was one of the more run-down buses I've been on. 

Just about ten minutes from Bai's village is this one hill that becomes very difficult to get up when it's been raining and the logging trucks, etc. have chewed up the road. You can see the bus I was riding at the bottom of the hill after it slid off to the side after trying to get up.  The bus to the right tried to pull us out, which it finally did, bu then we then had to wait for about an hour until a logging truck came that somehow, when it went up the hill, compacted the mud so the bus could make it up. 

And then, about an hour later there was a big pop and whesh  of air as one of the tires went flat.

And here's one of our YouTube videos of a bus trying to make it up the same hill. If you watch the video you have to think of the book "The Little Train that Could!"

And both times it was lightly raining as we (the passengers) had to wait out in the rain until the bus finally made it up the hill.

But when you travel in Laos, you just have to be relaxed and the problems always seem to take care of themselves and usually something will happen that turns a "lemon" situation into lemonade.

For those of you who might be thinking of ever going on one of our tours, don't worry, we don't travel on buses as we rent vans for our travel groups! But when Bai and I travel on our own, it doesn't bother us to take the bus. It's just part of being in Laos...

Tai Daeng (Red Tai) Shaman in Ban Sop Hao, Huaphan Province, Laos

Tai Daeng Shaman in Ban Sop Hao in Huaphan Province, Laos from Laos Essential Artistry on Vimeo.

When we were researching with Elli last summer we met quite a few shamans and witnessed different ceremonies and blessings. Here, the shaman is performing a ceremony to bless a new house and rid it of all its bad luck and clear the way for good luck in the future. Part of a ceremony is often a display of "power" and in the video toward the end you will see the shaman balance a long candle on top of a knife he sets in a small bowl of rice. Pretty impressive!

Yin Sibai Saonaa

In looking through some of our photos showing various rice activities I couldn't help but think of the classic Lao song, Yin Sabai Saonaa, "The Contented Rice Farmer." I'm not sure how many Lao rice farmers are truly contented, but if all goes well, no droughts, no floods, few weeds, few snails, few rodent/insect pests, plenty of labor to plant, maintain and harvest the rice, then I think there definitely is contentment. Rice, is life in Asian countries and to know in whatever way one is an important part of that cycle, can provide contentment. And of course the song celebrates Lao patriotism and reflects a socialist viewpoint, but regardless, the song has a great melody and is loved by the Lao people.

In the Animoto video we made above using some of our photos from Laos we use Yin Sabai Saonaa as the musical track. Do you like it?

You can ss our set of photos from Laos showing a wide variety of rice activities on our Flickr channel here.

In reading the book Rice in Laos published by the Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research I came across the lyrics to Yin Sabai Saonaa and will include them in this post along the a popular version of the song. Enjoy!

Yin Sabai Saonaa (The Contented Rice Farmer)

We are rice farmers’ children
We take plows and buffaloes to the fields.
We look for food in the forests.
We look for food in the forests.

After sunset, we go home.
Everyone in our village is very happy and contented.
Very happy, very contented.
In our village, there is rice and there are fish in the rice fields,
When the wind blows, we have fresh air,
Contented, contented farmer; contented, contented farmer.

In the afternoon, we ride wild buffaloes,
We sing songs, dance, and play the “khaen.”
We urge everyone to come together to play, work, and develop the nation.
Contented, contented farmer; contented, contented farmer.

The direction of our lives is a happy thing.
In the fields, our skin becomes dark, but we are still happy to work for our nation.
To work to fight hunger and poverty.
Contented, contented farmer; contented, contented farmer.


We are proud to use our work to develop our nation,
We have buffaloes as powerful friends,
Our leaders direct us on the right path,
Contented, contented farmer; contented, contented farmer.

 

A Favorite Photo from Laos (On-going Series)

Favorite photo time! I think all photographers get goosebumps when they see monks and constantly are seeing one compelling composition after another. And often when you look at a photo, like the one above, the viewer doesn't know the story behind the photo, and there usually is one, and one of the advantages of this blog is being able to tell the story! In this instance, this photo was taken in a small wat in the village of Muang Vaen where some of our most beautiful Lao textiles are woven.

Sometimes it's difficult to find the time to actually leisurely walk through a village when you're there for "business," but we always try to find the time because you'll never know what you will see and discover. It's really what I enjoy the best. When we walked by the building above, the sleeping quarters for the couple of monks for this wat, I saw this monk look out the window opening and then disappear. My wife was talking to the other monk who was on the porch by the front door where this monk then joined the other monk. I kept thinking, wow, that window opening is a great frame for the monk, but how am I going to get him to come back? Sometimes it's easy to just let it slide and move on, but I couldn't pass this up so I asked Bai if she could ask the monk if he would come back and peer out the window. Sometimes they are shy or just don't want their photo taken, but most monks will accommodate to "visitors" and this one quickly went back to this window where I took several shots. I would have liked to see him smile a little, but he wouldn't "nyeem" (Lao word for smile), but I still really like the shot.

I wonder what is he thinking?

Carol Cassidy Video Explaining Pattern Creation on the Loom in Vientiane, Laos

As we've mentioned in other posts we are very excited to announce that we will now be carrying Carol Cassidy’s Weaves of Cambodia Rainbow Silk Scarves. If there is anyone is who synonymous with the best in Lao textiles it’s Carol Cassidy. Just type in “Lao textiles” in Google and see who is the first person/business listed. Laotextiles.com is Carol Cassidy, and her gallery in Vientiane is always a must see for anyone interested in Lao textiles.

We’ve known Carol now for about ten years and although these gorgeous silk scarves are woven in Cambodia, not Laos, all the principles we value with Laos Essential Artistry are more than upheld in the weaving and finishing of these beautiful silk scarves.

When we were in Laos in June we shot some video of Carol explaining how patterns are created on the loom, which a skilled weaver then weaves into her fabric. It seems so complex that it appears magical to watch a weaver at the loom as she weaves these incredible patterns into a textile. It's not an easy process to understand, but we think if anyone can demystify the complexity of the techniques used, it's Carol. And in fact watching this seven minute video we think will give viewers an even greater appreciation for the artistry of Lao weavers.

We encourage anyone traveling to Laos and Vientiane to visit Lao Textiles: Carol Cassidy. It's in an amazing old French Colonial Building and be sure to ask to walk out back and see all the weavers at their looms. It's an intoxicating experience!

We always stay at the Vayakorn Guest House when we're in Vientiane and it's across the street from Carol's Gallery and the photo below is taken from our room on the third floor. Her gallery includes the old French Colonial and the buildings to the right and behind it.The second photo shows a street view of Carol's Gallery.

Some of our favorite photos of Laos in an Animoto video

Animoto videos are pretty darn cool. We see great potential with the videos for the work we do. And while most of the process is automated in an intuitive way, there's enough flexibility to let someone creatively control some of the process. I like being able to add our own music tracks and iTunes makes it easy to convert music tracks to mp3's.  As long as the track is not protected you'll be able to convert it to MP3format which is required by Animoto. And for the video beneath this one featuring our Hmong storycloths we extracted the audio from a video we took in Xieng Khuang Laos of young very talented Hmong girls singing Kwv Txhiaj, a kind of sung poetry. We did that in iMovie exported the audio as an AIF file, imported it into iTunes and then converted it to an MP3 file. We will soon be experimenting with adding some video clips to the video too. Lots of potential, so look forward to more Animoto videos from Laos Essential Artistry!

Like/love photography and want to take photos like these in Laos? Or even better? Think about going on our tour to Laos next June. Limited to six people. The tour will provide plenty of fantastic photo opportunities, count on it. More info on our Yahoo store site here.

Laos Woven Bamboo Strips Photo

Laos Bamboo Woven Fence5
Originally uploaded by Laos Essential Artistry.

Does anyone else love the contrasting texture and color of the woven bamboo strips? We saw these panels being dried in the sun in Sam Neua. Check out the other photos in the series on our Flickr site.

Weaving in Nongbouatong

As we write in our Laos Essential Artistry website, under the section Nongbouatong, most of the families are Tai Daeng and almost all of the weaving being done is by Tai Daeng Weavers. This weaver was quite good, and watching her you can begin to understand the how talented the weavers must be to create a quality textile, like our Tai Daeng Silk Ceremonial Cloths.

Isn't she impressive? It takes about 12 long days to weave one of our Tai Daeng Silk Ceremonial Cloths.